QSR1841/3/5/40

Depositions and examination - Elizabeth Church wife of Stephen Church of Pavenham, charged with stealing one pair of high shoes value 4s

15 April 1841

From: 1841 To: 1841

Robert Luddington of Stevington, shoemaker - on Tuesday 13 April he had to go to Harrold on business. He left his 7 year old son at home as he expected his apprentice would return home before he could get back from Harrold. When he returned he found a woman from Pavenham had been over to enquire about some shoes, and on enquiry ascertained it was Elizabeth Church. He went to Pavenham to see her about some shoes on Wednesday morning. She said she had bought a pair of shoes from a man after leaving his house. He asked to look at them. She did so. She had them on and he asked her to pull one off, which she did. He said he could swear they were his shoes. She said whe would lose her money that she gave for them. He took the shoes and said he would go to Neale, the police officer. Neale came over with the woman later in the day and he gave the shoes into Neale's custody. He missed a pair of high shoes on Tuesday as soon as he got home, and they are the pair he missed. Joseph Neale, police constable No.25 - on Wednesday 14 Elizabeth Church came to his house and he questioned her about the shoes, having heard from the other police constable about it when he met him on his beat. She said she bought the shoes from a man at Stevington. He took the prisoner over to Luddington's and he desired him to detain her in custody. Elizabeth Church - she went to Luddington's on Tuesday to get a pair of shoes. He was not at home. She waited nearly an hour at Simpson's house in Stevington but Luddington did not come home. She was tired of waiting and as she was going on towards Bedford with the intention of buying shoes there she met a man carrying a flat basket. He asked if she wanted some shoes and she said she did but was afraid he would not have any to fit. She tried a pair by the road side and they fitted. She paid 4s for them. The man was dressed in a dark lapell coat and dark waistcoat. he was quite tall and very stout. She did not know him but had seen him before at Pavenham. Margaret Simpson, wife of Thomas Simpson of Stevington, shoemaker - she remembers Elizabeth Church coming to Luddington's house. Her house is about 15 yards away. There was no one home at Luddingtons - his little boy was up in the close opposite the house. She saw the prisoner standing on the steps of Luddington's house for about 20 minutes. Her house is on the same side of the road and she could not see from her window whether Church went into the house or not. She remembers seeing some shoes hanging in his window in the morning, but does not know how many pairs. After she had stood there some time she asked Church into her house to sit down and wait. She stopped for maybe 20 monutes, then said she would go home and come again another day. She is sure no person with a basket and shoes passed by her house during the time Church was at Luddington's door or in her house, nor to the best of her belief during the whole of that day.

item

Church, Elizabeth,
Church, Stephen,
Luddington, Robert,
Neal, Joseph,
Simpson, Margaret,
Simpson, Thomas

PAVENHAM, STEVINGTON, HARROLD, stealing, shoes, shoemaker